• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

SkinTrack

  • Lightest Gear
    • Skis
    • Boots
    • Bindings
    • Skins
    • Packs
  • Skimo Training
    • Training Plans + Skimo Manual
    • Transitions Videos
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Scarpa Alien

Interview with Travis Brown and Peter Knight – two young Canadian skimo hopefuls

May 8, 2014 By Stano Faban 1 Comment

On the European skimo racing scene 24-years old racers are not considered youngsters anymore but in North American skimo terms that’s almost as young as they get.
Travis Brown and Peter Knight are two Canadian skimo racers with good potential – both of them have good engines and they are quick learners. On the interesting side, both of them are from prairies of Alberta and both of them came into skimo from different sports – one from running, the other from mountain biking.
Warning: In case some answers seem a bit weird then know that both of these guys have good sense of humour 😉

Travis and Peter on the summit of Mt Joffre in Alberta during their 11 hour mission. Details coming below.
Travis and Peter on the summit of Mt Joffre in Alberta during their 11 hour mission. Details coming below.

Enter Travis and Peter

  • Travis blog – http://theenduranceexperiment.blogspot.ca/
  • Peter’s blog – http://knightisright.blogspot.ca/

Q: What is your athletic background? What are (or were) your main sports?

Travis on the track.
Travis on the track.
Travis: I ran track and cross-country for 5 years at the University of Calgary (1500m, 3000m and 10km XC). Then in need of something new, I picked up trail ultra-running when I graduated last spring.
Peter: I’ve been mountain bike racing more seriously since I was 16. I do some cyclocross races in the fall as well. I used to race on the road, but I got tired of playing silly mind games for 4 hours on a Sunday, so I got out of that before I got taken out in a big crash.
Q: What are your biggest (racing) accomplishments in those sports?
Travis: Won the Stampede Road Race 5km in 2012, Calgary; Mother’s Day race 5km; 3rd place CIS Academic All Canadian 2012; and most importantly I am a 3 time BSD Beer Mile champion (I have yet to attempt the Beer Skin, but I think my skills should transfer over well).
Peter: I’ve squeaked onto the provincial team a couple of times and I’ve battled for a couple of top 5’s in Alberta Cup races. The local mid-week mountain bike world championships win has thus far eluded me.
[Stano’s note: Beer Skin was a race I organized a week ago – involved drinking 4 beers over a 500m skin climb.]
Peter ripping the single track.
Peter ripping the single track.
Q: When did you start skiing and ski touring?
Travis: I started cross country skiing with my family when I was 2, and didn’t downhill ski until about 6 years ago. I dabbled in touring (read: slogging in alpine boots and Marker Dukes) during my first few years of University, but hadn’t done a ton until the last couple of years.
Peter: I think I was on skis when I was 4 and I started ski touring when I was 18.
Q: When did you discover skimo racing?
Peter during his first skimo race back in 2010.
Peter during his first skimo race back in 2010.
Travis: I first heard about skimo because some of the top trail runners use it as winter training (Killian Jornet, Luke Nelson, Max King etc.).  Being an injury prone runner always looking for low impact ways to boost my fitness I decided it was a perfect thing for me to try in the winter. My first race was the 2014 Castle Mountain Skimo Race and involved a lot of crashing and botched transitions.
Peter: My first race was the 2010 Dogtooth Dash. I was meaning to race the Sunshine 5000 in 2009 and 2010, but I had to do homework those weekends.
Q: Looks like both of you got hooked on skimo racing quite easily. What are the main reasons?
Travis: I love spending time in the mountains and skimo lets me get into all the areas I frequent in the summertime in a completely different way. When you can go touring and have fun with your friends for the day and call it training you know you’ve hit gold. I also love the mix between aerobic fitness, technical skills (transitions etc.), and finesse (downhill skiing).
Peter: Skiing up and down mountains as fast as possible and having races to keep me motivated is a much better way to stay fit through the winter than riding an indoor trainer, or struggling biking through the snow. I enjoy racing and I’ve met some interesting people, so I’m definitely hooked on the scene! That and “National Team member” will sound really good when I’m trying to launch my motivational speaking career.
Q: Which aspects of skimo racing were the most challenging to you? How did (or still do) you tackle them?
Travis: The technical side of the sport such as skinning technique, kick-turns, downhill skiing and transitions are still my weaknesses. Training at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary definitely helped my transitions because it’s only a 125m lap, so you end up doing lots. But the other stuff you can’t work on there, so I try and get out to the mountains as much as possible on weekends. I’ve also spent lots of time watching videos on sites like SkinTrack picking apart transitions .
Peter: I am certainly not fearless on the descents in either mountain biking or skimo and speed there will come with more skiing and leg strength. I sometimes have a bit of trouble skinning fast and opening up my stride on flatter sections, so I think I have to spend some more time on the classic XC skis.
Peter chasing Travis at the 2014 Canadian Skimo Cup final race.
Peter chasing Travis at the 2014 Canadian Skimo Cup final race.
Q: How do you think skimo training and racing is beneficial for your other sports?
Travis: Because skimo very closely mimics the bio-mechanics of running without the impact, I’ve noticed a big boost in my running strength and endurance so far this spring because I can maintain high volume of training all winter. I also find the change in sport helps to keep my motivation levels high, and by the end of ski season I am ready and excited to jump back into running.
Peter: The race length is about the same. On steeper climbs the motions are fairly similar. I’m getting some racing in while others are riding indoor bikes! The beating the legs take on the descents must be good for the bones!
Q: How do you train during the months without snow? Only running and biking or other activities as well?
Travis: In the summer, I stick to mostly trail running, with some time on the road bike and in the gym. I also spend some time out with friends climbing, hiking etc.
Peter: Only biking for me. Or sometimes I’ll hike up a mountain and ride my bike down and call it “training”. Not much running for me, I think the furthest that I have run is 8km! I keep telling myself to do more running to work on my stride but never get around to it.
travis-brown-running
Q: What do other athletes from your previous sports say about you racing skimo? Were they even aware of it before you exposed them to it?
Travis: I spend a lot of time explaining what skimo is, or they say “ohhh that’s that thing Killian does in the winter isn’t it?”. A lot of them think I’m a little crazy, but I try my best to convince them to give it a try.
Peter: I think everyone that I’ve talked to is intrigued by the sport, but I don’t think that they had heard about it before. Some have seen the videos. Maybe they’ll give it a more serious look if I could throw down an impressive early season result.
Q: Where do you guys live, work and train these days?
Travis doing what skimo racers can call training - ski touring.
Travis doing what skimo racers can call training – ski touring.
Travis: I’m currently living in Calgary, working as a personal trainer and during the week I trained at Canada Olympic Park (125 vertical meters of groomed ice) and got out to the mountains to ski in Banff and Kananaskis almost every weekend.
Peter: Edmonton. I do my skiing based out of Canmore on the weekends when I decide to make the drive.
Q: Ideally, where would you want to live, work and train in the future?
Travis: I would love to live out in the mountains, but will be going back to school soon, so that probably won’t happen. Calgary isn’t too bad because it’s about an hour and a half to get to the closest good skiing.
Peter: Anyone know of a ski town with mechanical engineering jobs?
Q: Do you have a coach? If not, where do you look for guidance and information?
Travis: I’m self-coached. I have a pretty good grasp on training concepts from training for track, getting a Kinesiology Degree and being a Certified Personal Trainer. I’ve also done a bit of reading on what others are doing for their skimo training (aka blog creeping) but for the most part I just adapt my typical running workouts to the skis.
Peter: Mountain bike racer Matt Hadley has been coaching me since the fall.
Q: From your point of view, is there anything specific skimo in Canada lacks to attract more new people? And is there anything specific that skimo in Canada has better over other sports?
Travis:
I think the biggest area for improvement is access to information about races, and race registration. Coming from running, where the racing scene is well established and race details and registration are available months in advance finding info on skimo was quite difficult. I’m used to planning my race season 6-8 months before, being able to easily look up previous results etc. and had to work very hard to find out information about skimo when I was first starting.
The best thing about this skimo community is how friendly and genuinely nice everyone is. I felt very welcome, even at my first race when I knew nobody, and have met a ton of great people from all over North America at every race since (Even the legendary Stano!). These friendships have led to some epic ski days, with more to come.
Peter:
Judging by what is popular these days, I think skimo is missing mud, barbed wire, electric cables, chasing zombies, coloured flour, standardized distances, mass marketing email lists, and $200 races. On a more serious note, a “grand” course or stage race and mid-week races might attract more people.
What does skimo have over other sports? In Skimo, you can race along alpine ridge lines, bomb down descents and it’s all over in couple of hours, so you still have time to do a couple of laps off the lift after. And not many sports in Canada have Stano!
Stano:
Thank you boys very much, but don’t get too friendly as I might have one more good season in me 🙂
Q: What would you advise to young trail runners and mountain bikers if they want to try skimo so they have a good experience right the first time?
Travis:

  • You don’t need the lightest gear to have lots of fun, but it definitely helps if you want to be competitive.
  • Practice with your gear to get it dialed in before you get to the start line. You can save a lot of time with efficient transitions.
  • Don’t forget to practice skiing downhill on your race skis too! I’ve always considered myself to be a good downhill skier, but felt like a 4 year old getting off the magic carpet my first time using race skis off-piste.

Peter:

  • Try a race. It doesn’t matter what you have for gear; if you are fast, you will pass people on lighter gear.
  • Find a good group to go skiing (“training”) with.
  • Understand that there are technical elements that make skimo unique: transitions, descents, steep skinning, kick-turns. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t have these dialed right away, they will come with practice.
Peter manged to get a good form at the end of the 2013 season and became Canadian National Champion.
Peter manged to get a good form at the end of the 2013 season and became Canadian National Champion.
Q: You guys recently did a one day assault on Mt. Joffre in Kananaskis country, Alberta. You did in less than 11 hours, tell me about the adventure.
Peter:
Mt. Joffre (3450m) is located in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in Kananaskis country. It is the highest mountain in K-country and one of the 11,000 footers of the Canadian Rockies. It is usually done over 3 days and the guidebook claims a round trip distance of 28km, but our GPS’s were reading closer to 40km and 2150m of vertical when we got back to the car just under 11 hours after starting.
I have been fascinated with this mountain ever since I read a trip report from a day trip 2 years ago. I made an attempt but bailed just 250m from the summit as we didn’t have the cojones to continue up the face. And I realized that having a good and fast partner would be crucial for a fast and successful attempt.
It seemed that Travis was keen on going for a long tour but it had snowed the day before so the Wapta traverse probably wouldn’t be very fast and there was the potential of getting shut down by clouds on the Balfour Col. He suggested going for Joffre, so we headed out from Canmore in the other direction!
Q: Compared to trail running gear, skimo gear is expensive, but compared to mountain biking or cycling it is fairly cheap. Can you provide brief summaries for both sports of what you need to enter with a total price at the end?
The below prices are for new gear.
Travis – trail running gear:

  • Trail Running Shoes $130-180
  • Hydration system: $30 (Handheld) $90-180 (pack)
  • Some longer and more remote races have required gear (Toque $20, lightweight windbreaker $70, gloves $20, survival blanket $10, headlamp $40-180)
  • Other than that, you can wear any regular running clothing you already have (shorts T-shirt) or spend up to $150 on each of those for fancier compression gear
  • Total: $400-450
  • Basic: $160
  • Top of the line everything: around $1000

Peter – mountain biking:

  • Bike: Hardtail – $2000+, Full suspension – $3000+. Add another $1000 each for Carbon frame/wheels.
  • Kit (shorts/jersey/socks): Usually ~$200, but you might want to have a couple of sets, unless you really like doing laundry!
  • Jacket: if you want to stay warm while training or racing when it is cold or wet: $100-200.
  • Shoes: $200. Some people have separate shoes for their road bike so double that.
  • Helmet: $100, does the trick.
  • Sunglasses: $75
  • Gloves: $40
  • Tube/pump/multitool: $40
  • Total: $2750+
  • And all of the parts you will break!

Stano – competitive skimo racing gear:

  • Race skis: $650 and up
  • Skimo boots: $750 and up
  • Bindings: $500 and up
  • Skins, 2 pairs: $250 and up
  • Skimo race suit: $300 and up
  • Pair of XC ski poles: depending on quality but as low as $40
  • Avalanche gear (beacon, probe, shovel): $350 and up
  • Helmet: $150, but cycling or climbing helmet is OK too
  • Wind breaker jacket and pants: $150 and up
  • Total: around $3000
  • And you probably own all the other things already (base layers, ski clothing, goggles, sun glasses…)

Q: What skimo gear are you currently racing on? Any plans to change or upgrade? If yes, then to what?
Travis:

  • Boots: Scarpa Alien
  • Skis: Atomic Ultimate
  • Bindings: Dynafit Low Tech Race,
  • Poles: Leki Genius (I use 145 cm, probably a bit long but I like the Nordic feel on lower angle slopes)

I had some older gear for my first race but upgraded pretty quickly when I realized its limitations. I’ve really enjoyed my current setup, but might look into some Alien 1.0’s in the future when I win the lottery.
Peter:
Dynafit DyNa World Cup skis, Low Tech bindings, and Pierre Gignoux XP444 boots. If I was able to ski more, I’d think about getting a second pair of the entry level race boots for training, etc… Oh and 140 cm poles and I am 187 cm tall. You forgot to ask that!
Stano – just for comparison:

  • Skis: Hagan X-Race
  • Bindings: Hagan ZR
  • Boots: Scarpa Alien 1.0
  • Poles: Gipron at 135 cm

Wanna try skimo too?

Are you in a similar position as Travis and Peter were only few years ago? If yes, don’t hesitate to reach out via email or simply leave your question below and we will answer ASAP.

Filed Under: People (Interviews) Tagged With: Peter Knight, Scarpa Alien, Travis Brown

La Sportiva Syborg skimo race skis & boots: Affordable cousins to RSR & Stratos Cube

January 20, 2014 By Stano Faban 16 Comments

In the next couple of days, La Sportiva will unveil their new skimo race product line to the World – Syborg skis and Syborg boots – that should be available in store by the fall of 2014.
Following a similar strategy like Dynafit and Scarpa, the La Sportiva Syborg skis and boots will be affordable versions of their top skimo race line, the RSR skis and the Stratos Cube boots.

Syborg skimo boot specs and price

According to La Sportiva: “The Syborg boot draws on the innovation and technology of La Sportiva’s award-winning Stratos series to create an everyday training boot for serious racers or a race day boot for amateurs.”

As you can see, the Syborg boots look very nice.
As you can see, the Syborg boots look very nice, and are introducing a yellow into the skimo race boots family as Scarpa traditionally uses green, Dynafit white, and Pierre Gignoux black.
The two-buckle Syborg is reported to weigh 800 grams per boot in size 27, but it’s not entirely clear whether that is with or without the liner. The Syborg will feature the single level CavoBike lever to transition between walk and ski mode. And to underline La Sportiva’s intention with this boot, it will retail for $749, thus, directly competing with Dynafit PDG boots and Scarpa Alien.
The Stratos Cube boots for comparison.
The Stratos Cube boots for comparison.
Specs:

  • Cuff material: Carbon Reinforced Polymer (GrilamidÂź/Carbon)
  • Shell: GrilamidÂź
  • Sole: LazerGrip2™
  • Sizes availability: 23.5 – 30 (including half sizes)
  • Range of Motion: 75° (35° back/40° front)
  • Forward Lean: 4 positions (14°, 16°, 18°, 20°)
  • Inner Boot: EZ Thermo Race™
  • Buckle Closures: 2 + Power Strap (optional)
  • Last Width: 100.4 mm

Syborg skis specs and price

Just like with the new boots, the Syborg skis are designed to directly compete with the Dynafit’s PDG line – their suggested retail price should be set at $699 once they hit the stores.
la-sportiva-syborg-skis
The Syborg ski features Light Karuba Paulownia Wood core and  the focus is on strength and durability, with additional laminate layers, a thicker more durable top sheet material and longer lasting 1.8 mm steel edges.
Dimensions-wise these skis are a copy of La Sportiva’s top model, the RSR, but weighing 100 grams more:

  • 160 cm version (97-65-77) will weigh around 800 grams
  • 153 cm version (same side cut) will be around 780 grams

More specs:

  • Construction Type: CF TORSION BOX – 100% Camber
  • Top Sheet: 0.3 mm Double Polyamide (ISO ICP8210)
  • Core: Vertical Laminated Light Karuba Paulownia Wood
  • Laminate Layer 1: Carbon Fiber/Glass Twill
  • Reinforcement Plates: Glass Fiber – under binding mounting points
  • Base Material: Prewaxed P-Tex 5000
  • Edge Material: 1.8 mm steel + rubber laminate
  • Features: Notch in tip for race skin attachment, flat tail

To see how these two new products will compare against all other light skis and boots visit these pages:

  • lightest ski mountaineering boots – http://www.skintrack.com/boots-comparison/
  • lightest skis – http://www.skintrack.com/skis-comparison/

Filed Under: Gear, Tech & Food Tagged With: Dynafit PDG, La Sportiva RSR, La Sportiva Stratos Cube, La Sportiva Syborg boots, La Sportiva Syborg skis, Scarpa Alien

Detailed review and direct comparison of Dynafit DyNA Evo vs Scarpa Alien 1.0 skimo racing boots

November 16, 2013 By Stano Faban 29 Comments

From mountains to pubs to bedrooms, currently, no other question dominates the skimo racing boots debate more than “How does DyNA Evo compare to Scarpa Alien carbon one-O?”
The big problem with answering it is that very few people actually used both boots, used them extensively, are not sponsored by either company, and have a detective-like obsession for gear testing.
The comparison follows our standard review format but otherwise it’s all Jonathan Shefftz evaluating his long term experience with these boots!

Scarpa Alien carbon vs Dynafit Evo
Note: Do not compare cuff heights, other dimensions, forward-lean or angles based on the above images. As two separate photos they might not be the same scale and were likely taken from slightly different angles.

Dynafit DyNA Evo and Scarpa Alien 1.0 quick overview: 

  • Usual full price: $1700 and $1800 USD (respectively)
  • Weight: With some liner variations, both models are almost exactly three pounds for size 26 – 1360g per pair (680g/boot).
  • Cost per gram: $1.25/g and $1.32/g respectively for size 26.
  • Pros, both: Stunning range of resistance-free motion while skinning, transforming into equally stunning rearward support and lateral control when skinning.
  • Pros, Alien 1.0 only: Astoundingly stiff in forward flex.
  • Cons, both: Shells do not seal up the liners against the elements, and limited potential for fit modifications.
  • Cons, Alien 1.0 only: Can such a light boot really be too 
 stiff?
  • Cons, Evo only:  Sole lugs shear off after only a few hours of off-snow travel.
  • Suitability: Rando racing but also just general ski touring if you can tolerate some of the inconveniences.
  • How we got it: One boot was bought from a European etailer and another via pro-form, but they came out almost exactly the same. (disclosure notices)

Bottom line: 

Even if you are coming from a prior generation race boot like the Dynafit DyNA or Scarpa F1, or the race-derived Dynafit TLT5, you will still be amazed at both the uphill and downhill capabilities of these boots.
Despite the similar bottom lines, their names accurately highlight the differences.
The Evo is an exquisitely slimmed-down rendition of the original DyNA boot (which is very similar to the Dynafit TLT5/6 design).  To quote Antoine de Saint-Exupery:  “A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”  Dynafit has perfectly stripped out every possible bit of superfluous weight while still preserving an amazing amount of skiing performance.
By contrast, the Alien 1.0 really does live up to Scarpa’s alien technology marketing theme, with an impressively crafted design incorporating many innovative parts and exotic materials.  Plus if you like the feeling of getting your money’s worth in terms of carbon fiber, then this is definitely your choice.
The two boots do deviate from each other in two areas:
The Evo sole is simply incapable of sustained off-snow travel, as merely a few cumulative hours of off-snow travel will shear off or significantly damage most of the lugs; and, the Alien 1.0 might feel overly stiff in forward flex for very lightweight skiers without significantly loosening up the cord.

Photos:

How we tested them:

I bought the Dynafit DyNA Evo toward the beginning of the 2013 season and loved it so much that I have used it for over 247,000’ vertical, so almost half my earned vertical for the 2013 season.  But toward the end of the season I bought the Scarpa Alien 1.0 for any tours with off-snow travel, so only a relatively modest 77,600′ vertical thus far.
Evo ski/binding setups have been a mix of Movement Fish-X + Plum 165, Hagan X-Race + Dynafit Low Tech Race, Hagan X-Ultra + La Sportiva RT, and Hagan Cirrus + Plum 165.  I did not try any wider setups only because I did not have enough binding length adjustability for any of them last season.
Alien 1.0 setups have been mainly the Hagan Cirrus on spring and summer snow, except for one surprise late-season “winter” powder outing on the Movement Logic-X (remounted with the greater adjustability of the Plum Guide so as to try the Alien 1.0 in powder), plus a couple times on the Fish-X.
I haven’t used either boot for extended periods in extremely cold temperatures, plus I always keep moving anyways and find all thermo liners to be warm, so I can’t comment on their insulating properties.

First impressions – out of the box:

Actual weight for both boots is very close but not quite at spec, since my size 26 is pretty much spot-on for the 27 spec. Both boots have Dynafit’s “Quick-Step-in” toe inserts. Scarpa includes a fairly substantive user manual with actual useful information (e.g., the BOA adjustment can be disassembled for cleaning).
The fit is accurate on both boots for the interior length of my size 26, as I can just barely accommodate (sort of) the toes of my 26.5cm foot, which is therefore only slightly shorter than the 279 mm exterior BSL (base sole length).  Note that the Evo’s 279 is about 1.5 mm longer than the Alien’s 279 for binding fit, although about 1.5 mm shorter for crampon fit.
For the Alien, the BSL changes in 8 and 9 mm increments, so the interior length’s relationship to stated mondo size might become skewed a bit the further away you go from my size 26. For the Evo, if you are coming from a TLT5/6, note the different shell break:  my 25.5/26.0 Evo feels a bit shorter than my 26.0/26.5 TLT5, but not the full 5 mm as would be implied by the stated sizing difference.
The fit modification potential is limited for both boots.  For the Evo, my favorite boot guy was able to remove of bit of excess foam (relatively speaking) from the top of the liner toe box, thereby providing my big toes with a few critical extra mm. He successfully heat molded the liner, although given its thin profile, I didn’t notice any differences after molding.  The Grilamid nylon lower shell has a good record for punching/stretching in the TLT5/6 boots.
The current Evo liner is essentially a more minimal version of the already minimal TLT5 Performance TF liner (now continuing on as the European-only “CL” Custom Light, as opposed to North America’s only option of the “CR” Custom Ready).
For the Alien, the stiff foam bootboard is easily removed, and by playing with the heel height I was able to alleviate some pinching/banging of the lateral side of the back of my heel. The current liner is neither overlap nor tongued, and instead is essentially a pull-on sock with (minimal) padding in key areas.
I have not yet tried to heat the liner, and given its thin profile, its moldability is probably modest at best.  And after my modest usage so far, my boot guy thought I had already essentially molded them through use.  He is also fairly confident in his ability to stretch the problem area in the back of my heel.
The Evo’s partial-carbon upper cuff is shared with the TLT5/6 Performance, with the same swap-able plate for adjusting the forward lean.  (Evo and TLT5 boots before the 2013 season lacked the swap-able plate, yet can be easily retrofitted with the new part.)  But no optional outer tongue, no plastic fixed inner tongue, and no power strap.
The cuff provides complete coverage in back, yet leaves a large gap in front.  The lower shell has a fabric cover, but if you tighten up the lower buckle, the fabric tends to sag open a bit, acting as a scoop.  Plan either on wearing a race suit with an integrated gaiter, buying the Dynafit Racing Soft Shell Pant (or its Movement pant predecessor), or bringing some of the snowpack along with you.
The Alien’s forward lean is adjustable by changing a bolt position.  The cuff height matches the Dynafit TLT5/6.  In front, the cuff is taller than the TLT5/6 shell, but lower than the TLT5/6 optional external tongue.  (The cuff of my 26 boot is shared with the 25; I don’t know if the size 27/28 cuff is even taller.)
The cuff leaves a large gap in the back between the lower shell, and a cavernous opening in the front.  (The lower shell is sealed up better, although the thick fabric tongue unfortunately overlaps inside the lower shell, i.e., the reverse of the ideal overlap arrangement for sealing out water and snow.)  Plan either on using the very nicely designed (and nearly weightless, yet unfortunately not costless) Alien lycra gaiter, wearing a race suit with an integrated gaiter, or bringing even more of the snowpack along with you than with the EVO.

Second impressions – in use:

For both boots, in walk/tour mode, you’re in for a shock, as the upper cuff pretty much just disappears.  Flip down the Alien lever (which instantly self-aligns) or throw the Evo side lever (which sometimes requires a second of fiddling to engage), and you’re in for another shock:  rearward and lateral support are both outstanding, identical to the TLT5/6 Performance.
Evo’s forward stiffness is fine for narrow skis on consolidated snow.  I haven’t skied the Evo on bigger skis in unconsolidated snow, but only because I wasn’t able to adjust any of my bigger setups for the shorter BSL.  Obviously this isn’t the boot for high-speed lift-served skiing on cut-up chowder, but I’m thinking it should be sufficient for use this season with a new setup somewhere in the high 80s waist width.
Alien 1.0 forward stiffness is … maybe too stiff, if that is possible for a three-pound/pair boot?  Unlike Dynafit’s carbon boots, the carbon on the Alien 1.0 upper cuff wraps all the way around, while the inside of the lower shell also wraps your foot in carbon from the cuff rivets out to the heel and forefoot.  And the mode switch vertical-throw lever has less than a millimeter of slop.  (By contrast, Dynafit has about half a centimeter with its lateral-throw buckle.)  That kind of rigidity is outstanding for lateral and rearward support, but is it too much for forward flex?  I know one racer who admits to keeping the cord a bit loose to allow a little more give before the cuff locks up on him.
In the field, the Evo provided cord has a sheath that can be a bit slippery, so I advise setting up the cord first with a double fishermen.  Although the lower shell buckle has only two micro positions on the lever and two macro positions on the medial side, after I had the length dialed in just right, I found the adjustability to be sufficient even with those limited options.
The fit seems a bit more generous than the notoriously slim TLT5, although hard for me to tell for sure, since I had to go from a very thin sock to an essentially negligibly thin sock to buy a bit more room for my toes.  The cord on the upper cuff is attached to a very long velcro strap with a consequently wide range of adjustability.
In the field, the Alien’s  BOA system quickly tightens up the lower shell in increments as small or large as you want.  However, when I’ve overcompensated for my low-height foot (although my C-width matches up well with the shell), the placement of the BOA on the tongue (as opposed to off on the side like on my mountain bike shoes) can create pressure. Backing off the tension inevitably entails overshooting and having to dial it back it in – but still very quick, and also very easy even with numb fingers.
The upper cuff is all or nothing, so you have to set up your knot length just right by experimenting inside (or in warm weather).  With some extra 3 mm accessory cord, you could try setting up a system with multiple knot positions if you really wanted different upper cuff tightness options.

Third impressions – long-term durability:

The Evo rivets/pivots connecting the upper and lower shells prior to the 2013 season notoriously loosened up over time (requiring annual or so repressing).  For the 2013 season, Dynafit added a sort of spacer (“gusset”?) to address this issue, with unknown efficacy.
By contrast, the Alien rivets/pivots connecting the upper and lower shells look very industrial.
I finally snapped one of the cords on my original DyNA boots after about 485,000’ vertical.  Back-up replacement cord is trivial to carry and retie, plus the warnings signs in retrospect were obvious. The Alien’s lower shell tongue and BOA system are replaceable, as is the standard 3 mm accessory cord for the upper shell.
The Evo lower buckle is fairly low profile, although also all plastic.  The upper buckle protrudes significantly when open, which has made for nervous moments when rock scrambling in my original DyNA and TLT5 with the identical buckle – no casualties so far, although for your next mountaineering expedition bring along McMaster replacement parts #s 90596A005, 91785A092, 96659A101 in case the buckle’s attachment rivets are damaged.  Even if the upper buckle suffers irreparable damage, ski mode can be improvised by connecting the two cuff parts with a simple screw rivet and tightening up the cuff with a Voile strap.
The BOA placement on the tongue means the lower shell has no buckles on the side to be caught up in boulders, and the mode switch lever in the rear flips up out of harm’s way.  But I have read of two failures over time from normal use (as opposed to collisions).  This is not very surprising, given the lever’s slender proportions combined with the rigidity of the all-carbon upper cuff, the rigidity of the partial-carbon lower shell, and the very tight tolerances of the connection between the upper and lower.  But as long as the horizontal bar of the lower shell is still intact, a couple Voile straps should suffice for a field repair.
My Evo boots have about five cumulative hours of off-snow travel, roughly split between casual grass/dirt/mud hiking versus more demanding rock scrambling.  Despite such limited off-snow travel, 11 perimeter lugs have sheared off entirely and 8 are severely compromised, meaning that 2/3 of the lugs are simply gone or about to go. This fails the ISMF gear reg and is obviously unsafe for any off-snow travel other than casual walking/hiking.

Dynafit Evo rubber sole damaged.
These Evo boots photos are from Jonathan. Stano’s note: I don’t have any of this happening with my TLT 5 that have been sufficiently abused as well.
Did my particular pair have a bad batch of rubber?  Or has the design been changed since my pair?  I have read a few internet accounts of 2013 Dynafit PDG boots (with identical lower shells) losing many lugs on a single inaugural hike, which would seem impossible were they not matching up with my cumulative experience.  And Dynafit has inspected my boots, concluding that such nearly instant widespread failure of the lugs is simply normal off-snow wear for the Evo and PDG.  By contrast, my Alien boots show only appropriately minor wear after the same amount of off-snow travel.
Scarpa Alien 1.0 boots sole.
Again, photos from Jonathan of his Alien 1.0 boots that seen about the same amount of walking as above Evos.

Product Specs:

For comparing these two boots to other ones on the market see our Lightest ski mountaineering boots pages.
Dynafit DyNA Evo:

  • Weight: 695 g at size 27
  • Shell material: Grilamid
  • Cuff materials: Carbon, Pebax
  • Sole: EVO Race
  • Forward lean when locked: 14° and 17°
  • Cuff range of motion: 62°
  • Sizes: 23,5, 24, 24,5, 25, 25,5, 26, 26,5, 27, 27,5, 28, 28,5, 29 (two sizes per shell, so liner makes the difference)

Scarpa Alien 1.0:

  • Weight: 700 g at size 27
  • Shell material: Polyamide
  • Cuff material: Carbon
  • Sole: U.F.O. Scarpa/Vibram
  • Forward lean when locked: 9° and 13°
  • Cuff range of motion: 58°
  • Sizes: 24-30 (whole sizes only)

Quick overview of their “economy” stablemates – PDG and Alien:

Each boot has a more economy-minded version:  the Dynafit PDG and the Alien sans numerical appendage.  I briefly tried on each of them inside.  Both of them lack any carbon fiber, resulting in a bit more weight, a bit more ski mode flex, and a lot less cost.
The PDG is the closest to its more expensive sibling, as the only differences are the substitution of fiber-reinforced plastic for the Evo’s partial-carbon upper cuff (along with a pre-drilled hole for an aftermarket velcro strap) and a slightly beefed-up liner.
By contrast, the all-plastic Alien “0.0” is more of a contrast to the 1.0’s full carbon upper cuff and carbon-reinforced lower shell.  The “0.0” liner is a traditional contrast to the 1.0 sock-like liner.  The “0.0” upper cuff closure system includes a velcro strap and a buckle that allows adjustment of the tension.

Online stores that carry Dynafit Evo and PDG boots, and Scarpa’s Alien family:

Dynafit DyNA Evo:

  • $1699 at Skimo.co
  • $1700 at Boulder Nordic Sport
  • $1,699.95 at Backcountry.com

Scarpa Alien 1.0:

  • $1,798.95 at Skimo.co
  • $1800 at Boulder Nordic Sport
  • $1,798.95 at Backcountry.com

Dynafit PDG:

  • $849 at Skimo.co
  • $850 at Boulder Nordic Sport
  • $849 at Cripple Creek BC
  • $849.95 at Backcountry.com

Scarpa Alien:

  • $798.95 at Skimo.co
  • $800 at Boulder Nordic Sport
  • $849 at Cripple Creek BC
  • $798.95 at Backcountry.com

Filed Under: Gear, Tech & Food, Reviews Tagged With: Dynafit Dyna Evo, Dynafit PDG, Dynafit TLT 5, Dynafit TLT 6, Scarpa Alien, Scarpa Alien 1.0

Are skimo boots too expensive? Brief look at recent history of pricing and performance of the lightest ski mountaineering boots

October 28, 2013 By Stano Faban 3 Comments

Since I am currently shopping for new light skimo boots I am developing a severe case of PSC (price sensitivity condition) so today I set out to evaluate how bad it really is.

Now and then

pigIt’s only about five years since there was only one ski mountaineering boot on the market weighing under 900 grams. Pierre Gignoux’s XP500 was about 600g with a liner and almost a pound lighter than its nearest competitor.
By 2010, the big three – La Sportiva, Scarpa and Dynafit – had couple of the top world’s racers testing their prototypes with the hopes of closing the market share gap Pierre Gignoux created.
However, what majority of the racing field hoped for at the time was that this competition would bring prices for the lightest skimo boots down.
Today, on the verge of a new ski season, we have 9 boots from 4 brands that are under 900 grams yet the prices for the 700g models never went down.
alien-evo-morpho-stratos
The lightest boot 4 years ago, the PG XP500, was about 1200 Euros which was about $1650 US then (and is also now) and you had to order it a couple of months in advance. Today, we can have the boots at our door steps in 2-3 weeks in most cases but the prices are the same or even higher.
Here are the usual price tags for four super lightweight models right now:

  • $1700 for the white Dynafit Dyna Evo (695g at size 27)
  • $1800 for the green Scarpa Alien 1.0 (700g at 27)
  • $1900 for the minimalist Pierre Gignoux Morpho 400 (500g at 26)
  • $3000 for the very innovative La Sportiva Stratos Cube (545g at 27)

» For all models, see this comparison table with a complete list of lightest skimo boots currently on the market.

Price is not everything

With only few in North America willing to cough up top buck for the lightest boot couple of years ago most of us dreamed of affordability. While that didn’t come something did change – quality and performance.
Seeing the performance evolution of these boots over the years made me realize that ski mountaineers got it better than climbers, mountaineers or cross-country skiers. These things are literally feather weight, climb by themselves thanks to amazing ankle articulation and rockered soles, and can drive much bigger skis than just the specialized skimo race tooth picks.
Durability also improved as well as did the quality of closing mechanisms. And what I see as the greatest benefit is that you can now choose from the different models the one that fits your foot and preferences the most.

The “lesser” models

pdg-alien-bootAnother benefit brought to the skimo community as a side effect of more innovation and competition are cheaper models from Dynafit and Scarpa.
Both, the PDG (795g) and Alien (850g) boots weigh still under 850g yet you can buy them at around $800, which is lighter and way cheaper than top models from the two brands 3-4 years back – Dynafit Dyna and Scarpa F1 Carbon boots.
Their walk-ability is on par with the top models if we omit the 100g or so “penalty”. They are softer in downhills than their carbon versions but something has to give if they are to be half-price.

Pay or not to pay?

In line with our human habit of looking for ever cheaper options I am not inspired with prices of most of the light boots. But I have to admit that things aren’t as dark as they may seem.
What do you think, are these light boots too expensive or their prices are justified?

Filed Under: Gear, Tech & Food Tagged With: Dynafit Dyna Evo, Dynafit PDG, La Sportiva Stratos Cube, Pierre Gignoux Morpho 400, Pierre Gignoux XP500, Scarpa Alien, Scarpa Alien 1.0, skimo race gear

Why you don't need new very light gear right away, and my skimo gear progress

October 17, 2013 By Stano Faban 5 Comments

In recent months I have received couple of questions about my ski mountaineering racing gear, specifically, how I lightened up over the years. To give you an idea, here are examples of the nature of those questions:

  • What gear did you start on?
  • When did you switch to the lightest?
  • Should I get product X, Y, Z if I want to start racing?

So in this post I want to share my thoughts on the need people feel about light weight ski mountaineering racing gear.  And at the same time offer advice on how they can go about their choices as they progress.

My skimo gear evolution

I have the exact same one. Picture borrowed from WildSnow.com archives.
I have the exact same one. Picture borrowed from WildSnow.com archives.
I did my first skimo race when I was about 15 years old. It was about 1500m of climbing and the whole thing was in pure backcountry. It took me well over three hours (winners were under two) and I did it on a pair of 180cm skis (about 75mm under foot and 1800g per ski). The bindings were well used legendary Silvretta 300 (about 800g per foot) and boots some kind of Dynafits. To super charge the kit I had normal ski poles, some kind of a backpack, and cycling clothing mostly.
At the time, that was my only ski touring setup and so I did everything on it. It was great, I enjoyed it very much but I sure noticed that all the folks in the front were on some weird pin based bindings which seemed very light and breakable (first Dynafits).
dynafit-tlt-3-bootsFew years later I got a brand new ski touring kit which was also much more suitable for racing. This consistent of one of the lightest boots at the time – the Dynafit TLT 3 skied like shit and was about 1500g per boot. On recommendations about durability my bindings became Dynafit TourLite Tech (later referred to as Classics) which were an astounding 340g per foot, and they were mounted on 178cm Dynastars (around 70mm wide and 1400g per ski). I placed 3rd at Slovak junior nationals on that gear.
For a comparison, the fast guys in men, junior and women categories in those times were mostly on the same boots as me but with lots of modifications. They had 165-175cm skis (about 950g per ski) mounted with either the same bindings as I or the Dynafit TLT toe piece coupled with random garage-manufactured heels (about 200g per foot).
I have ski toured and raced that same setup for couple of years until I broke the skis, in around 2004. Then I bought another pair of 178cm Dynastars but this time 65mm wide and about 1100g. Boots were Scarpa F1, and the binding was my old faithful Dynafit TLTs. At the time this was quite a light setup for the North American racing scene but I certainly wasn’t the fastest guy around. Greg Hill, Steve Romeo, Chris Kroger and others were kicking my ass by a lot.
Then for about two years I almost didn’t race at all as I was working and out of shape. However, I had my last light setup safely stored in the basement just in case.
Fast-forward to early 2008 and the “just in case” happened – I raced couple of times and organized one race, helping with others. By this time, people caught up and you could see all the front guys on short skinny skis and almost everyone was on Scarpa F1s, some even wore spandex. (This is referring to NA scene.)
I still rocked the same setup for the early 2009 season but this time with more training (and no full time job) I was able to finally get on some podiums. Then during that season I got a light pair of 164cm at 900g skis and combined the well-used Dynafit toe pieces with ATK heels, which gave me a setup of about 1100g per ski. Still on my old F1s for boots.
I continued to race that same setup over the 2010 season and did Skimo World Champs and Pierra Menta on it. By this time the Euros were racing on way lighter gear (720g skis, 115g bindings, 700g carbon boots) and North Americans on about the same weight as me.
My all time favourite pair of skis I ever had, the white Dynastar Pierra Menta at 164cm.
My all time favourite pair of skis I ever had, the white Dynastar Pierra Menta at 164cm. The blue/green model is their predecessor which I had in 178cm. I keep them as reminders of great memories.
Before the 2011 season it dawned on me that if I wanted to stay competitive not only more training was needed but the lightest gear will be an absolute must even for challenging any Canadian podium. And as the season rolled around the corner we were all on-pair with the Euros in terms of gear weight.
I ended up racing on second-hand Pierre Gignoux (fitted with my 5 years old F1 liners) and a pair of 870g skis (including bindings) till the end of 2013 season.
As of now, like many of you, I am looking for a new setup. The options are plenty but also pricey.

My advice for “racing” gear

Unless you have too much money to spare then I believe your skimo gear selection should be based on priorities and goals.
Today’s marketplace offers much better choices in terms of going light yet compromise very little in terms of gear performance. Ten years ago, if you wanted to go very light you were stuck with strictly racing gear. It was good for that but not much for anything else.
These days, you can have a 75mm ski that is even below 1kg that is great for lots of other skiing than just running up mountains.
But back to priorities and goals – let’s define some situations you might be finding yourself in right now.

1) Doing your first races

I assure you you can do your first couple of races on whatever you have at the moment and still have fun and see whether it’s something you will enjoy for longer.
If you think it’s way too heavy then perhaps you can pick up a new or a used pair of Dynafit Broad Peak skis (74mm and about 1200g) or Dynafit Cho Oyu (87mm and about 1100g), TLT 5 or TLT 6 boots (1050g) and whatever tech style bindings you want. Or an equivalent of those pieces of gear.
Such a setup will allow you to have gear that is light yet much more usable for other things than just racing, such as steep or spring skiing, or occasional ski resort days. And the boots will be usable with your big skis as well.
At this stage of your development you are trying a new activity and I bet you didn’t buy a $12,000 Pinarello when you were learning to bike 😉

2) You enjoy the racing and you want to progress

It’s great to be in this position as by now you figured out you absolutely love it and want to give yourself a chance to see how much better you can be. The spoiler is that more race specific gear will help you but training really is key.
But I assume you are hooked and are keeping fit so it might be time to step up to something lighter. From what is currently on the market, I think a wise choice to start is to lighten up your boots first. That will usually also bring a better ankle movement which results in a more efficient stride.
Again, you can buy new or used from any of these two without going wrong – Dynafit PDG boots (800g) and Scarpa Alien (850g).
Whether you get a pair of any of the two or you are happy with your current boots you should take a look at some lighter skis. Good choices will be anything around 800-1000g in just over 160cm for men and 150cm for women (due to ISMF rules on lengths). Some great options that will do for anything fast are:

  • Dynafit PDG skis (65mm wide)
  • Dynastar Pierra Menta Rocker skis (65mm)
  • SkiTrab Maestro (76mm)
  • various Movement skis – Random-X, Bond-X, Response-X (76-89mm)
  • Hagan  Cirrus (75mm)
  • Dynafit Nanga Parbat (79mm)

For bindings, you can go lighter than say Dynafit TLT Speed Radical (340g per foot) but then you are looking at investing in racing specific bindings for quite a bit more money.

3) You are fit as a horse and you want to challenge the best

If you belong to this category, whether through years of progress in skimo or coming from outside, then I advise you take a look at Skintrack’s lightest gear comparison pages. Here they are:

  • Skis – http://www.skintrack.com/skis-comparison/
  • Boots – http://www.skintrack.com/boots-comparison/
  • Bindings – http://www.skintrack.com/bindings-comparison/

You will need the combination of all three to be as light as possible to have a chance for a podium at most North American rando races.

What is the gear you have and what are your goals?

If you are having hard time to figure out your setup based on your goals and priorities drop me a line in comments below and I will try to navigate you towards the best option. Or anyone feel free to ask anything regarding this topic.

Filed Under: Gear, Tech & Food, Training, Tricks & Tips Tagged With: Dynafit PDG, Dynafit TLT6, Scarpa Alien, skimo racing gear

New prototype boot in Scarpa Alien series

April 19, 2012 By Stano Faban 1 Comment

It doesn’t happen often that a big company like Scarpa lets slip out a product photo while it is only in a prototype stage.
The first Scarpa Alien boot was spotted some years back at skimo world cup competitions, only few approved racers were testing it. Then its carbon cuff version came into being and in 2011 both boots were officially released.
Scarpa Alien Revelstoke
The Alien series is known for its comfort, lightness and innovative features. However, it looks like Scarpa is pushing the envelop of design even further.
Now, the new Scarpa Alien Revelstoke is even lighter (with a carbon sole), more comfortable and should be super fast in transitions as there won’t be any buckles getting in the way!
The name have been chosen after a Canadian powder town whose residents’ winter footwear inspired the Scarpa engineers.

Filed Under: Crazy Tracks Tagged With: Scarpa Alien, Scarpa Revelstoke

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Our Facebook Page

skimo-manual-banner-300px
 

Recent Articles

  • Kilian Jornet Interview: About His New Foundation, His Own Environmental Impact, and How He Wants To Help Athletes and The Outdoor Industry To Protect Nature
  • How Fast Are Glaciers Really Melting? How Will This Affect Your Mountain Adventures? Interview with Pascal Egli
  • Book Review – Art of Freedom: The Life and Climbs of Voytek Kurtyka
  • Forest Skis: Innovative, Custom Build, For Backcountry Skiing and Freeride
  • Lighter and Completely Redesigned: New CAMP Ultralight Ski Mountaineering Ice Axes

Categories

  • Contests & Giveaways
  • Crazy Tracks
  • Events & Races
  • Gear, Tech & Food
  • General News & Articles
  • Industry Press Releases
  • Movies & Books
  • News Shorts
  • People (Interviews)
  • Racing 101
  • Reports & Results
  • Reviews
  • Skimo Racing
  • Training, Tricks & Tips
  • Trip Reports & Conditions

Footer

About SkinTrack

Travelling through snowy mountains on skis is like flying… and experiencing life at its core.

Gear reviews, interviews, adventures, contests, skills, skimo training, race reports – we connect you to all things related to self-propelled skiing.

SkinTrack.com, created by Stano Faban, was born out of passion for ski mountaineering and ski touring. Over the years, it has become one of the most popular ski mountaineering blogs in North America.

Recent Articles

  • Kilian Jornet Interview: About His New Foundation, His Own Environmental Impact, and How He Wants To Help Athletes and The Outdoor Industry To Protect Nature
  • How Fast Are Glaciers Really Melting? How Will This Affect Your Mountain Adventures? Interview with Pascal Egli
  • Book Review – Art of Freedom: The Life and Climbs of Voytek Kurtyka
  • Forest Skis: Innovative, Custom Build, For Backcountry Skiing and Freeride
  • Lighter and Completely Redesigned: New CAMP Ultralight Ski Mountaineering Ice Axes

Useful Links

Comparing the lightest: Skis | Boots | Bindings

Skimo Training: Training Plans | Videos

Stay in Touch

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2023 SkinTrack.com. All rights reserved.